Hungarian Reciprocal Fragment

@cite{siloni-2008} @cite{dalrymple-haug-2024}

Hungarian uses the reciprocal pronoun "egymás" (literally 'one-another'). This is an NP/argument strategy (bivalent): the reciprocal occupies the object position and preserves transitivity. It is distinct from the reflexive "maga/maguk".

Hungarian reciprocals are lexically formed per @cite{siloni-2008} and CAN form discontinuous reciprocals with the comitative "egymással".

Singular Antecedents and Reciprocal Scope

@cite{dalrymple-haug-2024} §2 (citing @cite{rakosi-2019}) shows that the antecedent of egymás in Hungarian can be a syntactically singular null pronoun. When the matrix subject is a coordination of singulars (e.g., "Péter és Éva"), singular agreement is optionally available in Hungarian, and the embedded null pronoun must be interpreted as bound. This forces a wide-scope (I-)reading of the reciprocal.

This contradicts the common generalization that reciprocals require a syntactically plural antecedent. In Hungarian, the plurality requirement is semantic (the matrix subject denotes a plurality) but the local syntactic antecedent can be singular.

def Fragments.Hungarian.Reciprocals.egymas : Core.Pronouns.PronounEntry

egymás — reciprocal pronoun 'each other'.

Equations

• Fragments.Hungarian.Reciprocals.egymas = { form := "egymás", person := some UD.Person.third, number := some Number.pl }

def Fragments.Hungarian.Reciprocals.maga : Core.Pronouns.PronounEntry

maga — reflexive pronoun (3sg, for contrast).

Equations

• Fragments.Hungarian.Reciprocals.maga = { form := "maga", person := some UD.Person.third, number := some Number.sg }

def Fragments.Hungarian.Reciprocals.allowsSingularAntecedent : Bool

Whether a singular null pronoun can serve as the local antecedent of the reciprocal. In Hungarian, coordinated singular subjects can trigger singular agreement, making the embedded null pronoun syntactically singular but semantically bound to a plural subject. @cite{dalrymple-haug-2024} §2, @cite{rakosi-2019}.

Equations

• Fragments.Hungarian.Reciprocals.allowsSingularAntecedent = true

def Fragments.Hungarian.Reciprocals.singularAntecedentForcesWideScope : Bool

When the local antecedent is a singular bound pronoun, only the wide-scope (I-)reading is available: the singular pronoun denotes an individual, so group identity (∪) is impossible. @cite{dalrymple-haug-2024} §2, example (10).

Equations

• Fragments.Hungarian.Reciprocals.singularAntecedentForcesWideScope = true

theorem Fragments.Hungarian.Reciprocals.recip_distinct_from_reflexive : egymas.form ≠ maga.form

Hungarian reciprocal is formally distinct from reflexive.

theorem Fragments.Hungarian.Reciprocals.singular_forces_wide : allowsSingularAntecedent = true ∧ singularAntecedentForcesWideScope = true

Singular antecedent forces wide scope.